Published by Over 15 years ago while at a Christian convention, I heard a speaker say that in the last days Christianity will be under severe strain and pressure and I remember thinking at the time, how can that be, Christianity is one of the most powerful faiths in the world most of its members are powerful people in the world so how can it be. Moreover the Christian faith can be credited with many positive influences and missions that have benefited many parts of the world. How will this come about? What will make Christians so hated that most of the world will hold them in contempt. At the time I believed that whatever it is that will cause this strain on the Christian faith surely will come from outside, like in the past where Christians were killed just because they refused to bow to graven images, or worship any other God than the God of the Bible. I have been very curious to find out how it will all start. However nothing in my wildest dreams would have prepared me for the actual cause, absolutely nothing!
Nothing would have prepared me for the fact that Christians are actually the architect of their own downfall. It reminds me of something I once heard. While in South Africa Gandhi had an opportunity to read the bible and after he read it, he got revelation of the Son of God and thus decided to go to a “Christian Church” to inquire about the faith but when he got there he was discriminated against and treated badly. At the end he left and made a statement many years later, that he would have been a Christian, if it had not been for Christians! What a tragic statement.
Now whether that story is true or not, it illustrates the problems Christianity is facing around the world. Everybody has become judge, jury and chief stone thrower of the so-called “sinners” while at the same time living the very life that they condemn. The hypocrisy and judgementalism is devastating considering that the founding pillar of the Christian faith Jesus Christ never sat in judgment over anyone but rebuked the leaders of the day (so called self-righteous preacher of today) who understood how to bow to the letter of the law but never quite grasped what the heart of the law was which was and always will be MERCY.
Jesus won people to himself by showing mercy and through mercy many who were under the yoke of condemnation were set free. That is like carrying a heavy monkey on your back all your life and someone coming to help to remove that heavy load that has hampered your growth and well-being. He did not sit in condemnation over people and he never asked the disciples or Christians to sit in judgement over people.
His command was to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every nation baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. His command was to Love.
That is Christianity’s great commission and nowhere does He say go into all the world and preach condemnation or judgement to every nation.
Instead of preaching the gospel, Christians are preaching pro-life, homosexuality and every other self righteous perceived sin while in our own lives, we continue the lifestyle of greed, lies, adultery, fornication, evil thoughts, bearing false witness, murder and the list goes on and on but as long as we are not “gay” or have not performed or committed one abortion then we are okay. (The good Lord will over look all our habitual sins after all we are Christians right?) Completely ignoring the bible that says judge not that you shall not be judged for whatever measure you judge so shall you also be judged. That same bible also says he who is without sin (notice it did not say abortion, homosexuality or even adultery) but sin cast the first stone. That same bible says that sin is sin there is no small sin or large sin all sin is an abormination to God.
A good example is the story of Ananias and Saphira who dropped dead because they lied, they did not kill anybody, or abort a child and they certainly were not homosexual, yet they dropped dead while someone like Saul who later became Paul killed so many innocents in his zeal to cleanse the country of Christians and yet he lived to do God’s work. So how can this be explained, after all murder surely should have a bigger weight when it comes to sin than telling lies in what today’s translation will really be a “white lie” after all they only partially lied!
Christians need to focus on the mission, it is no wonder there are barely any miracles amongst us when we are all so caught up in specific sins of others and never stop to judge ourselves which is the only person the bible gives us permission to judge.
I never heard Jesus ask the centurion to follow him before he healed his servant, or insisting that all the multitude that followed him pledge their allegiance to God before he fed them or get assurances from the woman with the issue of blood before she was healed or even getting any promises from the adulteress before he intervened on her behalf. Yet we have so called Christians telling the world what they believe and if the world does not believe like they do, stand in judgement over them and if possible take away their rights! – Their freedom to choose when even God did not do so.
Freedom of choice did not start with the abortion argument, it started at the garden of Eden when God gave Adam and Eve the choice, knowing quite well that they will disobey but understanding one thing that creating human beings in His image means the precious gift of free will that translates to choices. Though I am personally against abortion and the bible condemns the lifestyle of homosexuality, I cannot find it in me to condemn these people when I know my life is not sin free. I will also not force anyone to my beliefs but show them God’s mercy through Love and prayer. It is not my job to change any man, woman or child, only God can do that. My commission is to “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to the whole creation. He who believes and is baptized will be saved but he who does not believe will be condemned” Mark 16: 15-16.
Condemnation here is “If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town. I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.” Mathew 10:14 and Luke 10:12
It says nothing about bashing the people who hear the gospel without believing with their sin or our moral self-righteousness after all, the Christian does not have any righteousness of their own, it all comes from Christ Jesus so where do we get off telling everybody else what to do while ignoring what Christ Jesus asked us to do, I don’t know but it is not winning the Christian faith any new brownie points.
